Robots and driverless tractors are shaping the future of Australian agriculture

Robots are used to commercially farm over 405,000 hectares of Australian farmland, with growers seeing them as the answer to labor shortages.
Key points: robots can be programmed to cut and spray herbicides more efficiently Growers see environmental and productivity benefits by investing in robots Jobs are expected to be created in the nation's fresh produce quarter support industries.
Growers are investing in self-driving vehicles that can be programmed to cut and spray herbicides more efficiently.
Macadamia Farm Management agronomist Theunis Smit said his place was one of the first farms to incorporate self-driving vehicles.
"We've been using the prototypes for a while," Smit said. .
Labour shortages and extreme weather conditions have accelerated the company's investment in vehicles in recent months.
A driverless tractor works on a Bundaberg macadamia farm. (Supplied: Dean Collins)
"It's more that the reliability of the machines far outweighs the reliability of the people," Smit said.
"They work 24 hours a day and 7 days a week and just need a little fuel once in a while, and a good welcome."
He said that's what the future would be of Australian agriculture.
"I think in another three to four years from now we will see a lot more of them in the orchard than today."
Theunis Smit says self-driving vehicles have proven beneficial. (ABC Wide Bay: Johanna Marie)
Farming is smarter, not harder
Andrew Bate, a farmer from central Queensland, created the robotic Swarm Farm in 2012 in the goal of creating better farming systems.
He said that autonomous vehicles are becoming mainstream.
"Most of these machines are extremely versatile," he said.
"In June of this year, we dug one million acres [405,000 hectares] commercially farmed in Australia with our robots, which is a milestone for our team that we are really proud of."

Agrotech Sep 21, 2022 0 114 Add to Reading List

Robots and driverless tractors are shaping the future of Australian agriculture

Robots are used to commercially farm over 405,000 hectares of Australian farmland, with growers seeing them as the answer to labor shortages.

Key points: robots can be programmed to cut and spray herbicides more efficiently Growers see environmental and productivity benefits by investing in robots Jobs are expected to be created in the nation's fresh produce quarter support industries.

Growers are investing in self-driving vehicles that can be programmed to cut and spray herbicides more efficiently.

Macadamia Farm Management agronomist Theunis Smit said his place was one of the first farms to incorporate self-driving vehicles.

"We've been using the prototypes for a while," Smit said. .

Labour shortages and extreme weather conditions have accelerated the company's investment in vehicles in recent months.

A driverless tractor operating on a macadamia farm in Bundaberg.

"It's more that the reliability of the machines far outweighs the reliability of the people," Smit said.

"They work 24 hours a day and 7 days a week and just need a little fuel once in a while, and a good welcome."

He said that's what the future would be of Australian agriculture.

"I think in another three to four years from now we will see a lot more of them in the orchard than today."

A man with wearing a high visibility shirt stands in an orchard.

Farming is smarter, not harder

Andrew Bate, a farmer from central Queensland, created the robotic Swarm Farm in 2012 in the goal of creating better farming systems.

He said that autonomous vehicles are becoming mainstream.

"Most of these machines are extremely versatile," he said.

"In June of this year, we dug one million acres [405,000 hectares] commercially farmed in Australia with our robots, which is a milestone for our team that we are really proud of."